Coconut Fudge (a.k.a. Brain Fudge)

1 cup (scant) coconut oil 
3/4 cup peanutbutter or almond butter
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar or sugar
dash of salt (optional- last time I forget the salt and it tasted fine)


Make sure coconut oil is liquid when you measure it since that will affect your measurement. Melt all ingredients in saucepan.   If you use sugar, you may end up with a grainy texture if the sugar is not fully dissolved.  Since I use honey or agave nectar, I just get the mixture warm enough to melt the ingredients so they can be well mixed. The original recipe used 1 tsp. stevia instead of sugar which I have not tried yet.  Given the fact that the conversion between stevia and sugar is 1 tsp. to 1 cup, my version is actually less sweet than the stevia version.
Allow to cool partially but still pourable.  Pour into candy molds or into a container with a flat bottom (mixture should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch deep).  Place in fridge to solidify, and then into freezer to store. Mixture may be very runny so it can be difficult to move the containers when still warm.  

This fudge is better eaten frozen than from the fridge. If you have trouble getting the fudge out of the pan, lay the pan on a warm towel for just a few minutes and then try popping the entire amount out onto a plate and then you can break into bites and then store in the freezer.  This will make it much easier to just grab a bite out of the freezer.


Note: This is one method we use to get more coconut oil in our diet.  It isn't going to taste as fabulous as a traditional fudge however it is tasty enough that we feel like we are still getting a treat and the ingredients are healthy.  We use peanut butter because my kids do not like it with almond butter however that would be my preference to make it healthier. We have noticed some benefits in eating coconut oil for adhd and executive function issues.   We found this connection by accident when reading an article on alzheimer's and coconut oil so we decided to try adding it to our diets to see if it helped with other brain issues like executive function.  Disclaimer:  I'm not a doctor. I'm a mom who figured out what works for my family.  You may or may not see similar benefits.

This is the article that prompted me to try coconut oil.  https://www.bulletproofexec.com/podcast-transcript-13-how-to-upgrade-your-brain-with-coconut-oil-ketones/

Is Processed Food Really the Enemy?

The term "processed food" is interesting. We use it to label anything that is bad for you that is mass produced in a factory. The definition at Wikipedia.com doesn't match up with how we generally use the term:

"Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into something we can eat or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or butchered animal products and uses these to produce attractive, marketable and often long shelf-life food products. Similar processes are used to produce animal feed." (end of definition)

So, unless you are eating raw food as it naturally occurs, you are eating processed food. To narrow that definition, we could say that food is only considered processed if someone else processed it but does that necessarily make it bad? Or maybe just use the definition that if it has been processed in a factory, it is processed. So is my mom's homemade apricot jam is OK since she processed it at home and it wasn't made in a factory? I had considered trying to eat only unprocessed food even for a day (meaning eating no food processed in a factory) but then I decided that didn't really take into account that some food made in a factory might actually be a healthy option and I wasn't willing to give it up just to be able to tell myself I don't eat processed food. For example, I like my soy milk, cheese, mustard for my sandwich, almond butter to put on my bread, and even the syrup for my waffles. I know the syrup is bad for me but I'm not willing to give it up at this point. I'm also not willing to give up dark chocolate. The vast majority of what I eat is not processed in a factory and I keep replacing the things I can. If I really love a food that I can't make myself, I'll keep eating it even if it is considered processed.

Next up on my list to try: replacing store bought graham crackers with homemade ones. I'll keep you posted on that one.